Borsig inaugurated as MUW’s 14th president

COLUMBUS —In a ceremony that included remarks from Gov. Phil Bryant, IHL President Ed Blakeslee, and former University of Southern Mississippi President Aubrey Lucas, James B. Borsig was formally inaugurated today as the 14th president of Mississippi University for Women.

Bryant said, “Jim Borsig is a leader. How fortunate you are to have this man at this time as your leader.”

Speaking to the university’s 40-year history of nursing education and the fact that Mississippi is one of the most medically underserved states in America, Bryant said, “We’ll put more students in your nursing school. We’ll put more blue collar kids like Phil Bryant into college.”

The ceremony in historic Whitfield Hall—named for the eighth president of MUW and the 41st governor of Mississippi–included representatives from state and local government, the Institutions of Higher Learning, faculty, staff, students, and alumni.

Established in 1884, The W is the first publicly chartered college for women in the United States, a fact Borsig said has shaped its past and will shape its future.

“The W’s 1884 women’s mission—opportunity and access—remains central to who we are,” he said, noting that as times change, the institution adapts and responds. “Today our student body mirrors the state of Mississippi. Many first-generation students enroll and graduate here, 25 percent of our students are over the age of 25, and last year 43 percent of semester credit hours recorded were taught in classes where at least 50 percent of the content was online,” he said.

That, he told The W community, is the university of today. “We remain true to our founding principles. We embrace, encourage, and celebrate the unique gifts of each individual. Many students will succeed on this campus who will not find success on other campuses.”